Automatic wagon-brake



(NoModem B. I'. WILCOX & E. S. GHATFIELD.

AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE 110.414,271. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

N. PETERS, PhawLhlxognphar. Wuhngon, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENAJAH F. VILCOX, OF VVOODHULL, AND EBEN S. OHATFIELD, OF ADDI- SON, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,271, dated November 5, 1889.

Application tiled June 12, 1889. Serial No. 313,978. ,(No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Q, the rear end of which is connected with Be it known that we, BENAJAH F. lVILCOX, the reciprocating rod R, having its rear end of Voodhull, Steuben county, New York, and passing between the inner adjacent ends of EBEN S. OHATFIELD, citizens of the United the brake-levers S and connected thereto, as

5 States, the latter residing at Addison, in the shown. The said rod is constructed in two 55 county of Steuben and State of New York, members T U, which are adjustably secured have invented a new and useful Automatic together by a set-screw T, as shown. The Wagon-Brake, of which the following is a front member T is hollow and the set-screw specification. is mounted therein and bears on the rear mem- 1o Our invention relates to improvements in ber, the end of which enters the front mem- 6o automatic wagonbrakes; and it consists in ber. The brake-shoes V are secured to the certain novel features hereinafter described outer, ends of the brake-levers, and are pro* and claimed. vided with a soft-metal face, so as not to bite In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective and therebydestroy the tire of the wheel. The

i5 view of our improved brake applied to a runlower end of the lever P is provided with a 65 ning-gear. Fig. 2 is a plan view with a part longitudinal slot W, in which the pivot-pin ot' of the reach broken away. Fig. 3 is a longithe pitman Q plays, so as to secure a more tndinal vertical section. positive action of the brake. It has been The running-gear A may be of any desired found in practice that the play given to the 2o arrangement, and is provided at its front end front end of the pitman by this slot enables 7o with the usual hounds B, as shown. The the same to apply a more powerful pressure tongue O has its rear end secured within a to the brake-shoes when they are in use, and casting D, and the said casting is secured bealso to move them farther from the wheels tween the front ends of the hounds by means when not in use. On the upper side of the 25 of a pin E passing transversely through the casting, at the front end of the same, we pro- 75 hounds and the longitudinal slots F in the vide the lugs X, between which We pivot the rear end of the casting. The casting is prefront end of the latch Y. This latch consists vented from moving laterally and caused to of a metallic bar havings its rear end bent move in a true central lineby the guide-irons downward to provide the lip Z, which is 3o G, secured to the blocks H, arranged between adapted to engage the clip-plate K to prevent 8o the front ends ofthe hounds, as clearly shown. the application of the brake when the wagon These guide-irons are provided at their front is being backed. ends with the eyes or loops I, through which From the foregoing description it is thought the securing-bolts J are passed. The securthe operation of our improved brake will be 35 ing-bolts J pass through a clip-plate K, arreadily understood. In the normal position 85 ranged transversely on the upper side of the of the parts the tongue will be drawn forcasting, andalso through a clip-plate L, which ward and the latch Y will be arranged with passes beneath the tongue, and thereby aids its lips Z in rear of the clip-plate K, as shown in supporting the same. The ends of this in Fig. l. In this position the lower end 0f 4o clip-plate L are provided with the vertical the segmental lever will be thrown backward, 9o ears M, which pass upon opposite sides of consequently swinging the inner ends of the the tongue, and thereby aid in guiding the brake-levers rearward, and thereby throwing same. On the upper side of the casting we the outer ends of the same away from the provide the vertical box N, which is provided wheels. Should `the vehicle be on a down- 45 on the lower face of its upper side wit-h a rackgrade, however, the tongue will be caused to 95 bar O, and the said rack-bar engages the upmove rearward, and thereby cause the rackper toothed edge of a segmental lever P, bar to act on the segmental lever so as to which is pivoted on the transverse pin E, as swing the lower end of the same forward, clearly shown. The lower end of this lever thereby drawing the pitman and the recipro- 5o is connected with the front end of a pitman eating rod forward, so as to swing the outer Ioo ends of the brake-lever rearward and apply the shoes to the wheels. The wagon willthus be prevented from acquiring too great a velocity, 'as will be readily understood. Should it be desired to back the wagon, the tongue is ,drawn forward sufficiently to bring the rear end of the latch in advance of the clip-plate K, so that the backward pull of the tongue will draw the said latch against the said clipplate, and the continued rearward movement of the tongue and the consequent application of the-brakes will be prevented.

It will be observed that our improved brake is composed of few parts, which are simple in their construction and positivein their operation. By employing the rack-bar and the segmental lever the motion of the tongue will be communicated directly and positively to the reciprocating rod and the brake-levers, so that the proper operation of the same will be assured at all times. The tongue is caused to move in a straight line and be prevented from lateral movement, and so twisted or broken, by the guide-irons and the clip-plates, and at the same time is supported in such a manner as to relieve the neclc of the draft-animal from any undue strain.

By constructing the reciprocating rod in two members, as shown and described, its length can be readily adj usted so as to vary the stroke of the levers as may be desired to take up wear.

Having thus described our invention, We claim- 1.' The combination, with the hounds, of the transverse pin E, secured in the front ends of the same, the tongue, the casting secured to the rear end of the tongue and 'provided with longitudinal slots through 'which the pin E passes, the box'on the upper side of the casting having a rack-bar in its top, the segmental lever pivoted on the pin E and engag ing the rack-bar, the brake-levers, and connections between thebrake-levers and the segmental lever, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the hounds, of the guide-irons G, arranged between the front ends of the same, the casting secured to the tongue and moving between the said guideirons, the pivot-pin passing through the hounds, the guideirons and longitudinal slots in the casting, the segmental lever operated by the casting, and connections between the said lever and the brake-levers, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the hounds and the casting secured to the tongue and moving longitudinally between the hounds, of the .Y guide-irons arranged on opposite sides of the casting and' having eyes or loops at their front ends, the clip-plates arranged above and below the casting, and the securing-bolts passed through the said clip-plates and the eyes or loops at the front ends of the guideirons, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witneses.

BENAJAH F. WILCOX. EBEN S. CHATFIELD., Vitnesses:

EUGENE WADE, F. J. MILLER.. 

